


Control

by MaliceManaged



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Gen, Gossip, Loki Does What He Wants, Male-Female Friendship, Tumblr Prompt, Tumblr: imagine-loki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-05
Updated: 2017-04-05
Packaged: 2018-10-15 00:26:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10546910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaliceManaged/pseuds/MaliceManaged
Summary: When one is the only one capable of handling the ever-troublesome younger prince of Asgard, people tend to question the 'how's. Sometimes, though, things really aren't that complicated.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Why is it that every time I try to work on my existing fics, I end up writing something completely different?
> 
> Based on this prompt: _Imagine being the only SHIELD agent capable of ‘controlling’ Loki (meaning the only one he actually behaves for) out of all the ‘handlers’ he’s had, much to everyone’s surprise. Eventually, they ask you how you manage it and you reply with, “Maybe just be nice to him?” Nobody believes that’s it, of course, but it totally is; he genuinely just loves that you actually treat him like a person instead of this troublesome_ thing _nobody wants around._

    She hadn’t noticed it at first. She didn’t make a habit of socialising with most of the people she worked with, it wasn’t in her nature and they simply didn’t have that kind of relationship; and so she’d missed the looks she had begun to receive since she’d been given her current assignment, going about the workdays completely oblivious.

 

    Loki, on the other hand, had definitely noticed; it contrasted so sharply with the looks they gave _him_ as he trailed behind her, after all. Usually, he just smirked in return, maybe even waved, turning their glares even colder. The whole situation was terribly amusing, he thought.

 

    They had needed his help, loath as they were to admit it, but they had. That of course didn’t mean they were willing to let him roam the realm freely; he would have been truly surprised and highly suspicious if that were the case. He’d been cooperative, given the opposite would end badly for everyone including himself, but that didn’t mean he’d made things easy. ‘Cooperative’ and ‘well-behaved’ were, after all, two very different things. He couldn’t really help it; it was in his nature to be troublesome, and they just made it so easy. What God of Mischief and Revelry could _possibly_ resist _that?_

 

    Upon his arrival, Loki had been assigned an agent to keep an eye on him whenever he was outside of his ~~cell~~ room. This had been a good plan _in theory._ In practice, not so much. One after another, his ‘handlers’ all but pleaded to be reassigned; officially citing the god was ‘impossible to deal with’.

 

    Unofficially, the language used was... much less flattering, to say the least.

 

    It seemed that he was determined to make their lives hell, and was quite efficient at such; in the first three months, he’d already gone through a dozen handlers. They’d almost resorted to just locking him up until they needed his skills or his mind, but had decided to give it one more shot. And that was where she came in.

 

    Agent Alondra Matos had been on leave due to an injury she’d suffered on the field, and so she’d missed all the drama. Her fellow agents had been more than happy to fill her in as soon as they learned she’d been assigned the god, but she’d shrugged them off; she preferred to make up her own mind, and that wasn’t about to change any time soon. Plus it wouldn’t be the first time some of them decided to mess with her.

 

    He’d been cold towards her when she’d gone to meet him, towering half a foot over her and clearly trying to use that to his advantage, only to find she was utterly unintimidated. She’d been polite where he was mocking; maintaining a surprising air of complete professionality even as he tried to probe her for weaknesses to exploit. By the end of the first day, he’d begrudgingly admitted to himself to being impressed. By the end of the week, he’d told her as much; she’d only smiled and thanked him before leaving. From then on, things between them had gone much more smoothly.

 

    She was unaware of the rumours and speculations that began after a while, until the day he decided to bring it up. They had one of the training rooms to themselves - since people preferred to be wherever he was not - and were on the mat, where he was teaching her some of his hand-to-hand fighting techniques. She’d just managed to take him down - well, he’d let her, anyway - with a successfully applied grapple when he spoke up.

 

    “It might interest you to know that some of your fellows believe we’re sleeping together,” He said as she loomed over him.

 

    She blinked then snorted amusedly. “What?”

 

    “Oh, I’m quite serious,” He replied before throwing her off of himself and standing, “They’re quite convinced.”

 

    “Ugh; figures,” She replied with a roll of her eyes then got to her feet and assumed a battle stance.

 

    “Now that’s just hurtful, kettling,” He said with a mock-hurt expression.

 

    “No; hurtful is going to be what I’m going to do to you if you don’t stop calling me that,” She retorted then rushed at him, dodging his attempt to grab her and moving behind him, kicking the back of his knee and using his resulting stumbling to trap him in a headlock and pull him down to the floor again.

 

    Loki let out a slightly breathless laugh as he turned and threw her off again, using the time it took her to try and right herself to lunge at her and pin her down, placing a forearm on her neck but not applying any significant force. “I don’t doubt it,” He replied with a grin.

 

    She tapped his arm to signal her surrender. “You have names to go with that news?”

 

    “Most have accepted it as truth, but it originated from Wells,” He replied as he got off her and offered a hand.

 

    She groaned in annoyance then accepted his hand, allowing him to pull her up. “That’s it; I’m going to shoot him.”

 

    He chuckled. “I’m sure his wife will thank you.”

 

    She laughed despite her irritation on her way to the nearest bench where she’d left her things and grabbed her towel, wiping the sweat off her face and neck. He joined her and handed her a bottle of water before grabbing his own. She took a long gulp then turned to him again. “Anything else I should know?”

 

    He shrugged. “There was talk that I was manipulating you and turning you against them, but Traynor defended you so fiercely it died out quickly enough.”

 

    “Sam’s a sweetheart,” She said with a fond smile.

 

    “You could do worse...” He suggested, not for the first time.

 

    “Stop,” She half-groaned, shoving him away.

 

    He raised his hands in mock-surrender. “I’m only trying to help.”

 

    “Yeah; thanks, _mom,”_ She replied sarcastically with a roll of her eyes.

 

He laughed and was about to reply, when another agent walked in and informed them that she had been called to the director’s office at her earliest convenience. She sighed then tossed her towel at Loki, earning a glare that made the other agent nervous and she stuck her tongue out at, before heading towards the showers. Loki rolled his eyes then dropped the towel by her things and turned, walking past the agent without even a glance and leaving the training room, leaving the man to hurry after him on the way to his room.

 

 

****

 

 

    She stood before the director, dressed in a fresh pair of sweatpants and a black tank top, hands clasped behind her back and expression professionally blank. Coulson knew her well enough to know the wheels of her mind were turning, wondering what he’d called her in for, but knew she would wait until he spoke regardless of whether or not she came to any conclusions on her own.

 

    “I’ve been keeping an eye on your progress, agent,” He finally said, “I’ve got to say; I’m impressed.”

 

    “Only doing my job, Director,” She replied neutrally, “But you know that, I’m sure.”

 

    He allowed a slight smile. “I’m not scolding you, Matos.”

 

    She tilted her head forward in the slightest nod of acknowledgement. “You’re not complimenting me either, sir.”

 

    “Not yet; no,” He conceded.

 

    “And you’re not asking for a standard report; next one should be next week.”

 

    “There’s quite a bit of gossip going around, some of it potentially troubling.”

 

    “So I’ve heard.” She couldn’t quite keep all of the annoyance out of her voice. “I’m no traitor, sir.”

 

    “Didn’t think you were.”

 

    “I’m not sleeping with him either, sir.” She smirked slightly. “He’s not my type.” She stood a little straighter. “That particular rumour comes from an over-inflated ego taking a hit.”

 

    Coulson chuckled lightly. “Not naming names out of professionalism, or vindictiveness, agent?”

 

    Her answer was a momentary slight upturning of a corner of her mouth. “Was there anything else, sir?”

 

    “Not at the moment; I’ll wait for your full report next week. Dismissed.”

 

    With a sharp nod, she left the office, intending to go to Loki’s room to continue the day’s plans. Now that she was aware of what people were saying about her, she noticed the looks. They came in various degrees of subtlety, but she was always more observant that most; one glance at them and she could almost certainly tell who believed the rumours and who didn’t. She passed by Agent Wells and sent a sharp smile his way, letting him know that she _knew._

 

    He hurriedly walked away, not quite looking at her. Her smile widened in satisfaction. He’d be wondering how she was going to get him back for it for some time now.

 

 

******

 

 

    “Loki Friggason; you are about thirty seconds away from finding out how accurate my aim is first-hand!” She snapped from where she was sitting, a clipboard in one hand holding the paperwork she was supposed to filling out and a pen tightly gripped in her other.

 

    “ _I’m_ not doing anything, kettling,” He replied far too innocently from his spot on the medical table.

 

    The agent taking a blood sample from his arm bit his lips together to keep from laughing; that had been going on for most of the time they had been there. She glared at the god, who simply smiled back, then returned her attention to the clipboard. Not two minutes later; he did it again. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and looked up at him; she then stood and walked over to him, causing the agent to wisely step aside.

 

    “Something the matter, agent?” Loki asked mildly as she set the clipboard down next to him.

 

    “Oh, not at all,” She replied casually then picked up a jet injector from the tray by the table and shot the contents into his arm without warning, earning a sharp hiss, “Just assisting.”

 

    The other agent failed to suppress a snort and he glared at him before turning back to her, rubbing the spot on his arm to soothe the sting. “Point taken.”

 

    “Since you seem to dislike how I do paperwork so much,” She took up the clipboard again, grabbed his hand, and set it down on it, “You can fill it out.”

 

    He looked down at the clipboard for a moment and the ink reappeared on the paper. “Done,” He said with a self-satisfied smile.

 

    She narrowed her eyes at him, took the clipboard back and signed were required then handed it to the other agent, all without looking away from the god all but daring her to react. After a minute of staring at each other unblinkingly, she allowed a smile to stretch her lips before stepping back so he could stand up and follow her out of the room to get lunch.

 

    Conversations ceased as they walked across the cafeteria, as usually happened, though they barely noticed as they discussed a flaw in one of his strategies that he’d surprisingly missed until she pointed it out. They paused their conversation as they grabbed their food and found an empty table before continuing as they ate, ignoring the stares sent their way by more than one curious or bemused agent. It wasn’t until he went to get a second serving that a few of them approached the table to ask what they were all wondering.

 

    “How do you do it?” One of them asked.

 

    “How do I do what?” She asked back with a raised eyebrow.

 

    “Get him to, you know, not be an insufferable prick?” He looked over at Loki, who seemed to be giving an inordinately serious consideration to the dessert options available. “A dozen agents have tried and failed to control the bastard; how the hell do you manage it?”

 

    She glanced towards the god, who had come to a decision and was beginning to return to the table, then back at the agents. “Maybe try being nice to him?” She replied slowly, “It’s not that complicated.”

 

    The agents seemed unconvinced but before they could question her further Loki reached the table and they all but scattered, much to his amusement. “Was it something I said?”

 

    She snorted a laugh and tossed a balled up piece of napkin at him, earning a grin. “You’re an ass.”

 

    His brow furrowed in mock confusion. “Actually, I’m a jötunn,” He replied, causing her to bury her face in her hands with a groan, to which he chuckled. “So; what _did_ I miss?”

 

    “Oh, they just want to know how I managed to tame you,” She replied with a smirk, earning a scoff.

 

    “My mother couldn’t manage that in over a thousand years; what makes you think _you_ have?”

 

    “I didn’t say I did; I’m just the messenger,” She laughed, raising her hands in mock surrender. “They’re just surprised I haven’t handed in my resignation yet.”

 

    He hummed. “I see; and what did you tell them?”

 

    “Doesn’t matter; they didn’t believe me,” She replied with a shrug. “More importantly; I’m going to need your help. Or at least your face.”

 

    He allowed a convincingly hurt expression to cross his face. “I knew it; you only care for me for my looks.”

 

    “Perish the thought!” She gasped, placing a hand over her heart. “Who could _possibly_ resist your _winning_ personality?” That earned a chuckle and she grinned. “Now, how would you like to help me teach Wells a lesson in respect?”

 

    His answering grin sent people closest to the table on edge. “I thought you’d never ask, kettling.”

 

 

****

 

 

    They were, of course, reprimanded, but she knew for a fact that Coulson went easy on them. She knew better than to say so aloud, but she knew. That knowledge helped make the legwork worth it as they assisted in cleaning up the aftermath of a fight; though she couldn’t say the same for her charge, who spent half the time complaining about how the ‘so-called heroes’ broke more than they saved.

 

    That got quite a few grumbles of agreement from the others there.

 

    She found herself smiling on the drive back to the base, something he noticed. “Dare I ask what amuses you so?”

 

    “You have fans now,” She replied, glancing at him briefly before returning her eyes to the road.

 

    He scoffed. “They liked that I spared them half the work.”

 

    She hummed in disagreement. “They liked that you hate the superheroes as much as they do.”

 

    He hummed noncommittally then went back to looking out the window at the passing scenery. It was ten minutes before he spoke again. “What did you say?”

 

    “To what?” She asked confusedly.

 

    “When they asked how you ‘manage’ me.”

 

    She sent him a disbelieving glance. “Seriously? That again?”

 

    “Is it so surprising that I’m curious as to what you said that they didn’t believe?”

 

    “This isn’t curiosity, Loki; at least, that’s not all it is.” She took advantage of a stop sign to look over at him. He simply looked back at her expectantly. She sighed and rolled her eyes before resuming driving. “I told them to try being nice. Happy?”

 

    He didn’t reply, simply went back to looking out the window.

 

 

******

 

 

    There was a flower in her locker when she opened it; a daffodil, white with a cheerfully yellow centre. She picked it up and looked at it confusedly for a moment before looking in her locker to see if there was a card or a note or something, but there wasn’t. She looked around the room but the few other agents there seemed just as curious as she was. She shrugged, dropped of her gear and closed her locker before walking out of the room, flower in hand.

 

    Loki took one look at her when she came to collect him and smirked slightly. “Why, Agent Matos; I didn’t take you for the flower giving type,” He teased.

 

    “Why would you? You wouldn’t be getting any,” She retorted smoothly as she walked over to turn off the cuff on his wrist that would set off an alarm if he were to leave his room on his own.

 

    He laughed, following her out of the room. “Oh, I think I might.”

 

    “You’re not _that_ charming, sweetie,” She replied with a laugh.

 

    “Well, not like _this_ , no,” He replied then leaned down over her shoulder to murmur in her ear, “But I _am_ a shapeshifter.”

 

    She stopped abruptly, as he half expected her to, and looked up at him. “Is that a fact?”

 

    “That is a fact.”

 

    “Interesting...”

 

    “Quite, but you may wish to find out who your admirer is first; at the very least, she deserves to be let down gently.”

 

    She let out a quiet snort before resuming walking. “So confident you are.”

 

    “You’d be lucky to have me, kettling,” He huffed.

 

    “Eugh; that would be like dating my mother,” She replied with a mock shudder as they walked into the meeting room, earning odd looks from those already in there.

 

    “Is that really the kind of conversation to have in the hallways, Agent Matos?” Coulson asked somewhat bemusedly.

 

    “He did ask, sir,” She replied, coming to a stop before him and the other man in the room with her hands clasped behind her back.

 

    “What manner of question would evoke _that_ response?” Thor asked, looking between the agent and his brother curiously.

 

    “Nothing that would interest you, I’m sure; it’s nothing dangerous,” Loki replied with a smile that belied the sharpness of his tone.

 

    “What are you implying, brother?”

 

   “I’m _implying_ nothing; I’m _stating_ that you only come for me when you need me for something or think I’ve done something wrong.”

 

    Thor frowned. “That is not true.”

 

    “I beg to differ,” She cut in, turning his attention to her.

 

    “This does not concern you,” He said firmly.

 

    “Doesn’t it?” She challenged.

 

    “Agent,” Coulson interfered before things escalated, “That’s enough; you’re dismissed.”

 

    She narrowed her eyes at the Thunderer for a few seconds, not moving a muscle, then turned towards her superior and nodded sharply. “Yes, _sir.”_

 

    With that, she turned and left the room, leaving behind an air thick with tension. After a few moments of silence, Thor turned to Loki again to regard him somewhat suspiciously.

 

    “So, you’ve managed to turn your guard to your side.”

 

    Loki huffed a humourless laugh. “It really is that difficult for you to believe there’s someone yet alive capable of more than barely tolerating my existence, isn’t it?”

 

    “That is not what I mean.”

 

    “Enlighten me, then, _please;_ what _do_ you mean?”

 

    “You were uncooperative with all others that came before her.”

 

    He shrugged. “Their approach left much to be desired.”

 

    “So she was right,” Coulson spoke up, sounding somewhat amused, “Good thing I didn’t bet.”

 

 

****

 

 

    She was leaning against the wall outside the meeting room staring at the flower in her hand, occasionally brushing her fingers over the petals gently. She smiled to herself slightly; it had been years since anyone had given her a flower, though she did wonder if whoever had left it had gotten lucky or if they knew daffodils were her favourite. Either way, it was a nice gesture; even if they hadn’t left a note to go with it.

 

    If it was the latter, though, that didn’t leave a lot of possibilities as to who it could be given not many people knew what her favourite flower was, and of those only one knew where she worked much less where her locker was. And she really didn’t think Loki would keep it to himself if it had been him; he’d never been particularly shy in letting her know exactly what he thought of any particular person or situation, good or bad.

 

    “Alondra,” She heard someone call from down the hall.

 

    She looked over to find Agent Traynor walking up to her, looking somewhat flustered. “Sam,” She greeted then tilted her head a bit to the side, “Something wrong?”

 

    “Ah, no. Well, yes. Well... not exactly,” Traynor replied, shifting nervously.

 

    “Traynor; pull yourself together,” She said firmly, succeeding in keeping the amusement from both her voice and expression.

 

    “Right!” Traynor replied, standing up straighter. She glanced at the flower and gulped slightly.

 

    She glanced down at the flower for a moment. “Know something about this?”

 

    “A-ah, yes! I, uhm... I-I left it,” Traynor stammered, her face heating up in embarrassment. “I meant to leave it somewhere else; I-I just left it in your locker by mistake!”

 

    She stared at the agent for a long moment, watching her look anywhere but at her. “Is that right?” She finally said almost tonelessly.

 

    “Y-yes! I’m so sorry,” Traynor replied, looking very much like she wanted the ground to swallow her whole.

 

    “Well, then. No hard feelings; we all make mistakes,” She said before holding the flower out to the other woman.

 

    Traynor was about to take it, when the door to the meeting room opened and Loki stalked out, stopping abruptly at the scene before him. He looked between the two women, noting their body language, then fixed Traynor with a stern gaze.

 

    “Samantha; tell me you are not cowering away after going through all the trouble to set this up,” He said, crossing his arms at his chest, causing Traynor’s eyes to widen.

 

    She looked up at him bemusedly. “I take it back; you’re _worse_ than my mother.”

 

    “You’re welcome,” He said with barely a glance in her direction. “Well?”

 

    Traynor gulped again then looked back at the flower. She reached out and took it, drew in a steadying breath, then held it out to her. “It is for you, Alondra,” She confessed, face scarlet, “And I wrote a note, but then I lost my nerve and tossed it.”

 

    She looked at the flower, then its giver, then reached out and took it back. “I see.” She looked back up at Loki. “And you knew about this the whole time.”

 

    He shrugged a bit. “As you didn’t have a note; I assumed there hadn’t been one, and I was right. I wasn’t going to do _all_ the work.”

 

    Traynor made a slight distressed sound and she looked over at her before walking up to her and placing a chaste kiss on her cheek. “Thank you, Sam,” She said softly to the other woman’s shocked expression, “I love it.”

 

    “O-oh; you’re welcome,” Traynor half whispered. “I have to... I have to get back to work now.”

 

    “Sure,” She said with a smile, “How about dinner tomorrow?”

 

    “I’d love that,” Traynor replied. She looked over at Loki, who seemed highly amused by the whole thing now, then turned and half fled down the hall before disappearing around the corner.

 

    She looked up at Loki. “Tell me you did not seriously set me up on a date.”

 

    “I did not seriously set you up on a date.”

 

    “Liar.”

 

    “Undeniably.”

 

    “Why?”

 

    He smirked. “What are mothers for?”

 

    She buried her face in her free hand with a groan.

 

 

****

 

 

    She was visibly happy when she came to collect him and he couldn’t help the somewhat smug smile that overtook his lips. “Not a word,” She warned.

 

    He breathed a laugh. “You ask for the impossible, kettling.”

 

    “One day I’m going to shoot you for calling me that; just so you know.”

 

    “If you truly minded; you would have done so already,” He said confidently. “I take it things went very well?”

 

    “How long had you been planning this, exactly?” She asked instead.

 

    “ _Far_ too long. It baffles me how such a highly trained warrior can turn into a meek, stammering mess when faced with someone she’s romantically inclined towards.”

 

    “We all have our weaknesses.”

 

    He hummed in agreement then they lapsed into silence for a while. “I’m to return to Asgard,” He finally said then smiled humourlessly, “It seems the Allfather has found a use for me after all.”

 

    “Oh. Well, that sucks,” She replied, “When?”

 

    “Now.”

 

    She frowned. “I wasn’t told.”

 

    “Of course you weren’t; they can’t risk you helping me escape, after all,” He replied sardonically.

 

    “As if you needed the help,” She scoffed. “Not very bright, are they?”

 

    He laughed despite his annoyance at the situation. He turned and went to the dresser, taking out a small box from the top drawer and walked back to her before holding it out for her to take. “I’ve been meaning to give you this.”

 

    She eyed him curiously then took the box, opening it and looking inside. It was a necklace, simplistic in its design; a drop of a smoky blue crystal encased in silver wire hanging from a silver chain. She took it out of the box by the chain, admiring the way the light reflected off the crystal, then looked up at his waiting expression. “It’s beautiful.”

 

    “It was my mother’s,” He explained with a slight smile, “One of the few of her things I managed to get my hands on. May I?”

 

    She handed it over and turned, pulling the braid her hair was in to the side. When the necklace was clasped she turned to face him again, bringing her hand up to touch the crystal before looking up at him. “Any particular reason you’re giving this to me instead of, say, a girlfriend?” She asked teasingly.

 

    He huffed amusedly. “This is not the sort of thing one gives to a simple girlfriend, kettling. I know people who would gladly kill for such a treasure.”

 

    “Oh, lovely; you’re making me a target, then.” That earned her an eye roll she chuckled at. “Wait; you’re not going to propose to me now, are you?”

 

    “You should be so lucky,” He scoffed. “I’m trying to thank you, woman; the least you could do is appreciate it.”

 

    She laughed, earning a slight glare. “You’re welcome, then; for whatever it is I did that merits thanks.”

 

    “You know exactly what you did, Alondra; you’ve always known.” He looked away for a moment before locking eyes with her. “It has been a very long time since anyone has treated me as anything other than a troublesome, unwanted burden. I didn’t even realise how much I missed it. And then you came along.”

 

    She smiled warmly and closed the distance between them, stretching up to wrap her arms around his shoulders in a hug he returned after a second. “You’re welcome.”

 

    They parted after a while and she led the way out of the room, weaving through hallways and personnel, until they reached the outside of the base, where Thor and Coulson were waiting. The former eyed the necklace she wore intently, but at Loki’s icy stare kept any opinions about it to himself. She greeted the older prince with cool professionalism then provided her thumbprint to the scanner Coulson held that would unlock the cuff on Loki’s wrist. With a final nod of farewell, the Trickster went to stand beside his brother while she and the director stepped back, allowing Thor to call for the Bifrost to take them away.

 

    Once the princes were gone, she followed Coulson back inside to give her final report and likely receive her next assignment. On the way she idly wondered if and when she might see Loki again.

 

    _Sooner than you might think, kettling,_ She heard in her mind, causing her to halt her footsteps for a moment.

 

    She reached a hand up and touched the necklace, and heard a faint chuckle in her mind. She shook her head disbelievingly, a smile forming on her lips all the same.

**Author's Note:**

> kettling = kitten  
> 'áss' is the singular form of 'aesir', which I think is hilarious


End file.
